Kali is a complex Hindu goddess who embodies the contradictory roles of both a fierce destroyer and a benevolent, protective mother figure. Representing the dark, powerful forces of time, death, and cosmic creation, she is the active energy, shakti, that fuels the silent, passive consciousness of her companion, Lord Shiva. Often depicted in a wild dance of destruction to annihilate ignorance and ego, she frequently stands atop Shiva, symbolizing that without her, he is mere formless potential (Shava/corpse). Her untamable rage, which sometimes threatens the universe, is ultimately brought into balance when she steps on her husband, reminding her of her divine, nurturing nature.